Clutch.



P. PIERO.

v cLucH. APPLICATION FILED MAY I6, |919.

7 By Paa/ Pfr/"0 Wam ,Z1/M I ATTORNEX PAUL PIERO, 0F NEW YORK, N. Y.

\ CLUTCH.

Specification of Letters Patent.

ratenteanec. 9, 1919.

Application. le. May 16, 1919. Serial No. 297,676.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, PAUL Primo, a citizen of the United States, residing at New York city, county of N ew York, and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Clutches, of which the following is a full, clear, and concise description.

My invention relates to clutches, and admits ofl general use but is of peculiar value for the purpose of connecting and disconnecting mechanical members of small size and delicate construction.

More particularly stated, I seek to produce a clutch made in two principal parts, adapted to be used upon jewelry, and especially upon earrings.

Reference is made to the accompanying drawing forming a part of this specification, and in which like letters indicate like parte throughout the several figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective of the clutch pin, carrying in this instance a spherical ornament forming the body-member of an earrm hgig. 2 is a perspective ofv the barrel of the clutch.

Fig. 3 is a perspective of the tubular stem forming a part of the clutch.

Fig. 11. is a spring.

Fig. 5 is a perspective of the main spring.

Fig. 6 is a perspective of the housing cap.

Fig. 7 is a perspective of the knob for controlling various movable parts or" the clutch.

Fig. 8 is a side elevation of the clutch as used upon the earring.l

Fig. 9 is a substantially central Vvertical section through the clutch.

e Fig. 10 is a section on theline 10-1() o Fig. 9, looking in the direction indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 11 is a perspective of the clutch mechanism as assembled. Y

A clutch pin is shown at 12, and carries an ornament 13. This ornament may be of any desired shape, but in this instance is spherical and constitutes the body portion of the earring.

The pin 12 is provided with frusto-conical portions 14, bounded by annular shoulders 15.

The clutch pin 12, with or without the ornament 13 constitutes one of the two prinperspective of the tensioningA Each lug' 25 is of cipal parts of ythe clutch, the other one being made up of the rest of the mechanism shown.

A barrel is shown at 16, and is used for holding various other parts.

A housing cap 17 is carried by the barrel, to which it is secured by screws 18. The housing cap 17 and the barrel 16 together serve as a housing.

The housing cap 17 carries a small post .19 and a massive flange 20, this flange having a general C shape. The post 19`and flange 20 serve to support the main spring 21, so as to allow it av limited amount of movement. The flange 20, because of its `inassive form,serves also to afford a good 'anchorage for the screws 18. l

The main spring 21 is in this instance made in a single integral member of steel,

and has the' general form of a split ring.

It is provided, however, with a pair of centrallyY disposed leaves 22, which are normally close together, but can be forced slightly apart, the spring thus being placed under tension.

The two leaves 22 are cut away to v,form a pair of hemispherical notches 23 and a pair of semi-conical notches 24;. The notches 23 together serve practically as a hole through which the post 19 extends. The notches 24 together constitute which the body of the clutch pin 12 may be thrust, so as to force the leaves 22 slightly apart, thus: placing the main spring under tensionl This purpose-is facilitated by providing. the clutch pin witha point 14a.

VThe leaves 22 `are provided with lugs 25,

n an aperture through` of which there are two, one upon each leaf.

arcuate form vand v is integral with the leaf carrying it. l v' i A tubular stem 26, shown in detail iu Fig. 3, is provided at one ofV its ends with a flange 27, securedrigidly upon it and preferably integral with it.v This flange has a general elliptical form, and is located between the lugs 25 and is movable relatively.

thereto.

The tubular stem 26 extends axially through a knob 28, to which it is securedY rigidly in any suitable manner, preferably by first making it to fit tightly and then subjecting it to pressure so as to form a rivet.

CII

By grasping lthe knob 28 by hand and turning it slightly, so as to rock or turn the tubular stem 26, the elliptical flange 27 can be forced against the lugs 25, so as to force them apart, thus moving the leaves apart and placing the main spring 21 under tension. rlfhis action releases the leaves 22 from engagement with the clutch pin 12, if the latter happens to be in position, that is, in engagement with the leaves. Thus in practice a single rocking movement oi the knob causes a disengagement of the clutch.

A leaf spring is shown at 29, and is elongated so as to have a general elliptical form. It is provided with a hole 30, through which the tubular stem 26 extends. The leaf spring 29 is bent or formed so as to be convex upon one face and concave upon the other. The convexv face ot the spring is toward the left according to Figs. 8 and 9. Y

The purpose of the leaf spring is to maintain the main spring in position, by pressing aganst it constantly and gently, and is also to press the knob 2S gently toward the left according to Fig. 9, which it does by pressing against the iange 27 of the tubular stem 26.

The knob 28 carries a projection 30 extending` radially 'from it. rhe housing cap 17 is provided with two lugs 31, 32, the lug 32 being more prominent than the lug 31, as may be understood from Fig. 1l.

lf the knob 26 be pulled to the right according to Fig. 9, and then turned in a contra-clockwise direction according to Fig. 11, the lug 80 can be caused to snap down on the lug 3l. This done, the knob is locked so that it can not be turned except by drawing it out a little.

lf, however, the knob be drawn out a little as just suggested, and then turned or rocked in a clockwise direction according to Fig. 11, the lug 30 lodges against the lug 32. Thus the rocking movement of the knob is limited.

The operation oic my device is as follows:

The parts being assembled and arranged as shown and above described, the clutch pin 12 is simply thrust through the barrel 16 and parts carried thereby, as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9.

clutch pin.

rEhe leaves vield slightly, so as to permit the pin to be thrust through the notches 2i, as above described. rFliese notches then encircle the pin, at a point adjacent to some one ot the shoulders 15, so that the pin can not be rithdrawn, except by pulling upon t ie knob and turning the same as hereinbetore pointed out.

When the clutch is used upon an earring, it adapts itself to ears of different thickness, the pin 12 being thrust through the ear to greater or a lesser extent. Thus one, two, three or more of the trusto-eonical members 11i are passed between the leaves 2n, depending upon the thickness oi' the ear.

d o not limit myself to the precise construction shown, as variations maybe made therefrom without departing trom the spirit of my invention.

I claim l. in a clutch the combination oi a clutch pin, a spring having the form of a split ring, a. pair of lea-vos carried by said spring' and controllable by the tension ot said spring for the purpose of clasping said clutch pin, a sleeve located adjacent said spring and said leaves and so disposed that said clutch pin may be thrust between said. leaif'es and into vsaid sleeve, a knob mounted upon said sleeve to be grasped by the operator in or: der to enable him to rock said sleeve relatively to said sleeve and said spring, and means controllable by the rocking movement of said sleeve for disengaging said sleeve from said clutch pin.

2. l'n a clutch the combination ot a clutch Jin a barrel rovided with an o eninrr into ed rocking 'movement relatively thereto, and

an actuating member carried by said sleeve and provided with a portion for engaging said lugs, in order to move said leaves apart and thus unclasp said leaves from said PAUL Piano. 

